1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus having a sensor unit checking developers on an intermediate transfer belt.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses forms an image on printing media, and correspond to printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multi-function apparatuses having functions thereof.
An image forming apparatus includes a development device converting an electrostatic latent image into a visible image through a developer, an exposure device forming the electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor of the development device by irradiating light thereon, a transfer device transferring the visible image developed on the photoconductor to a printing medium, and a fusing device to fix the developer onto the printing medium.
From among image forming apparatuses, a color image forming apparatus includes a plurality of development devices to respectively develop color developers, and a transfer device including an intermediate transfer belt to which visible images from the plural development devices are transferred in an overlapping state. Therefore, the visible images respectively formed by the plural development devices are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt in the overlapping state and then transferred to a printing medium, and thus a color image is formed on the printing medium.
Further, such an image forming apparatus executes auto color registration to precisely align and print the images according to colors at desired positions. Through auto color registration, whether or not the images according to colors are precisely printed on a printing medium is confirmed, and then the positions of the images deviated from the desired positions are automatically compensated. The color image forming apparatus includes a sensor unit checking the developers transferred on the intermediate transfer belt to execute the above-described auto color registration.